For over 25 years, John V. Tucker has helped people get 1) disability benefits, 2) life insurance benefits, 3) ERISA benefits, 4) Long Term Disability, 5) Social Security Disability and SSI, 6) Veteran’s disability|VA Service Connected Compensation, and 7) Life Insurance and Accidental Death benefits. Mr. Tucker has achieved AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review RatingSM—the highest available—through Martindale-Hubbell’s® attorney peer review ratings for his ethical standards and legal ability. He is also rated 10/10 (Superb) by Avvo.com, an online lawyer rating and selection guide. In 2016, he was once again named one of Tampa Bay Magazine’s Top Attorneys in Tampa Bay, selected by the South Florida Daily Business Review as a Top Attorney, and received another annual selection as one of the only claimant-side SuperLawyer in the area of employee benefits in Florida. Mr. Tucker practices throughout the United States, handling claims, litigation, and appeals related to ERISA and VA benefits. As a disability benefits and life insurance attorney, John Tucker has represented thousands of people throughout Florida and the United States, particularly in ERISA, disability and life insurance, and VA disability cases. While many of his clients are from Florida, he has clients and former clients all across the United States of America.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Florida
Since 1991
11th Circuit
Since 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Since 2007
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
Since 2016
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Since 1991
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Since 1998
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Since 1998
Professional Experience
2016 - Current
American Association for Justice
Chair - ERISA Benefits Litigation Group
Education
1988 - 1991
University of Florida
J.D. (1991) | Law
1985 - 1988
University of Florida
B.A. (1988) | Philosophy
Honors: Florida Blue Key
Awards
year - John Vincent Tucker
AV Preeminent Rating
Martindale Hubbell
10/10 Superb
Avvo.com
Contacts
Headquarters Office5235 16th Street North St. Petersburg FL 33703Toll-Free: (866) 282-5260Telephone: (727) 572-5000Fax: (727) 571-1415
Serving Long Term Disability Clients Nationwide Main Office: St. Petersburg, Florida https://www.tuckerdisability.com (855) 757-0707
Three Reasons Not To File Your Own Appeal Under a Group Long-Term Disability Plan – ERISA Attorney John V. Tucker
Listen as John V. Tucker explains why you should not file your own appeal under a group long term disability plan.
If you need to file an appeal under your long term disability plan, there are three reasons why you should not do it on your own. What most people don't realize is that their group long term disability falls under the ERISA law. This is a federal law that stands for Employee Retirement and Income Security Act. There are very special rules in regards to ERISA.
The first thing that you should know is that ERISA requires you to have any and all evidence ready when you file your initial claim. This means that you cannot introduce any new evidence after your claim has been made. If you don't get evidence into your claim file before the final decision on your appeal, you will not be allowed to submit it. This often means you will lose.
The second thing to note is that you shouldn't just write an appeal letter stating that you appeal. Under ERISA, the same people that denied your claim also gets to make the decision regarding your appeal. You have 180 days to file your appeal, so you need to present them with significant new evidence to help change their decision.
The third reason is that if you go to court, you cannot submit new evidence. You'll need to know what needs to be in the claim file. While you may be an expert on your medical condition, you probably do not know the best practices for developing evidence for your claim. This is where an ERISA attorney comes in to play. They can help you secure and include tests, expert reports, and witness statements, among other things. Watch the video to learn more.
If you have questions about appealing a denied claim for long term disability insurance, I want you to call me at (855) 757-0707. I welcome your call. Visit our firm's educational website at https://www.tuckerdisability.com, where you can view more videos and media content from our law firm.
